Homeowners today have a huge selection of color options when painting their homes – and many feel overwhelmed. Thankfully there are lots of resources, available online or from New Jersey expert home painters, to help you out. Here are some basic color tips that you can apply to your next painting project.

Review the Room

Begin by examining the room. If there are other finishes, furniture, or other features that are more or less unlikely to change, you can start by basing the color around them. For example, if you’re painting a family or living room with a large central fireplace, the color of the brick or stone should work well with the paint color that you choose. Some other pieces to consider are large cabinets or bookshelves and the tile in kitchens and bathrooms.

If your space also has attractive and unique architecture, like a bay window or crown molding, consider making that your focal point. You can use contrasting paint or use an eye-catching finish. Also popular are accent walls – highlight one area of your space with a distinct or complimentary color.

Find Your Inspiration

This is a fun way to kick-start the color selection process. Try to find something with a color you already love and enjoy. This could be a favorite item with loads of character that you want to use in the room, such as a piece of furniture, a designer rug, or special window treatments. Match and complement the color of this object and you’re off to a great start.

Remember that you can look at popular design magazines or websites for ideas, but something from your own collection is always sure to bring a smile to your face. A good compromise can be to utilize an experienced home painter once you’ve narrowed down your selection on your own. They have seen all of the most beautiful and effective combinations of paint colors, and can recommend the best ones for your particular space.

Put Your Paint to Work

Color isn’t just about looking great on its own. When you’re painting more than one room, or your entire house, consider using color to create a flow between sections. Different shades for different spaces can serve to unify the entire interior design of your home. When transitioning from one room to another, similar colors make it feel like a cohesive experience. For example, if you’ve got a great color for your kitchen, use a lighter or darker shade on the same palette for the surrounding rooms. You can also use color to differentiate spaces that serve diverse purposes – your quiet and cozy bedrooms upstairs can reflect an entirely different mood than the inviting and fun family hang-out spaces downstairs.

Many people also know that color can either emphasize or lessen certain factors in your room. The best example of this is using lighter colors on ceilings to “raise” them. If your walls are darker as well, the ceiling then appears to be higher up, causing the room to feel more open and larger. Always remember that ceilings don’t have to be white! While this is a common notion, you can break the trend by painting the ceiling a lighter shade of the wall’s color – a professional interior painter can assist you with ceiling painting if you’re nervous.

Ceilings are not the only way you can create or reduce the perceived size of your rooms. To enlarge an area, try light blues and violets for your walls. These colors feel like they are opening up away from you. The opposite effect can also be utilized – if you want to make a big space more intimate, for rooms like studies and offices, try using dark and bold colors like reds, browns, and oranges.

Lighting and Mood

Obviously the paint color you choose will evoke a certain mood, and there is a lot of research available that you can check to determine the best interior paint colors (for specific rooms). Another factor that many people fail to consider, however, is the effect that different lighting will have on paint. Keep in mind that during the day you’ll get natural light, which looks vastly different than the artificial brightness of incandescent bulbs once it’s dark outside. The location and type of your light sources, natural or otherwise, should also be determined ahead of time. Angling and spreading light properly can make a big difference in the mood of the room, especially with darker paints – so make sure to do some lighting tests with the colors you are considering.

If you are still in need of assistance, remember that you’re not alone. The topic of home design and house painting is hugely popular, so check out the web. Some websites will provide collections of colors in different themes (Coastal, Rustic, Earth tones) that you can use for the entire house. Others allow you to upload a favorite picture and then create a palette based on that. If you’ve asked a home painter in NJ for advice, why not have them apply the paint as well, to ensure the highest quality application that will last you a lifetime.